Development of microfluidic technology has generally been driven by parallel ontological advancements in the commercial electronics industry with an ever-increasing demand for sophisticated devices having reduced part counts, weights, form factors and power consumption while improving or otherwise maintaining overall device performance. In particular, advancement of microfluidic technology has met with some success in the areas of packaging and the development of novel architectures directed to achieving many of these aims at relatively low fabrication cost.
The development of microfluidic systems, based on for example, multilayer laminate substrates with highly integrated functionality, have been of particular interest. Monolithic substrates formed from laminated ceramic have been generally shown to provide structures that are relatively inert or otherwise stable to most chemical reactions as well as tolerant to high temperatures. Additionally, monolithic substrates typically provide for miniaturization of device components, thereby improving circuit and/or fluidic channel integration density. Potential applications for integrated microfluidic devices include, for example, fluidic management of a variety of Microsystems for life science and portable fuel cell applications. One representative application includes the use of ceramic materials to form micro-channels and/or cavities within a ceramic structure to define, for example, a monolithic micropump device.
Conventional pumps and pumping designs have been used in several applications; however, many of these are generally too cumbersome and complex for application with microfluidic systems. For example, existing designs typically employ numerous discrete components externally assembled or otherwise connected together with plumbing and/or component hardware to produce ad hoc pumping systems. Accordingly, conventional pump designs have generally not been regarded as suitable for integration with portable ceramic packages, microfluidic technologies or in various applications requiring, for example, reduced form factor, weight or other desired performance and/or fabrication process metrics. Moreover, previous attempts with integrating microfluidic pumps in monolithic substrates have met with considerable difficulties in producing reliable fluidic connections and/or hermetic seals capable of withstanding manufacturing processes and/or operational stress while maintaining or otherwise reducing production cost. Accordingly, despite the efforts of prior art pump designs to miniaturize and more densely integrate components for use in microfluidic systems, there remains a need for micropumps having integrated check valves suitably adapted for incorporation with, for example, a monolithic package.